Closer to a Grown Up Everyday

This picture signifies a big moment in my life. Alright, kind of lame, to make it sound that dramatic, but it was quite the exciting occurrence. Last week I moved from my first apartment in Durham across town to another apartment. I am so excited to be living with one of my classmates. I am looking forward to the joys of having a roommate and all that comes with it! This summer we have a pretty rigorous schedule, so it was challenging to figure out the most efficient way to move. The first option was to hire movers. Well, as I was researching the fees to hire a moving group, I quickly realized that it was GREATLY outside of my budget. So Idea 2 came about, and I decided to rent a U-Haul and get some friends to help me move. This picture is of the 14' truck that I rented. My friend drove me over to the Auto Shop where this truck was found, and followed me home for the ten minute drive back to my apartment (slow and cautiously of course).

As silly as it may sound, this was a liberating experience for me. Little steps like this give me confidence that I can take care of myself and get things done that I need to do. I'm growing up... and it's exciting.

What I Miss

I'm sitting at Panera right now (and i'm supposed to be studying... oops!) I am on spring break from my program, but I decided to stay around Durham for the week. It's turning out to be surprisingly great. It's nice to be relaxed with less stress than I have usually. I have had a hard time missing life at Miami lately (my undergrad). It made me think about it right now specifically because of the people sitting in the booth next to me in Panera. I can hear their conversation as they talk about God, His will for our lives, and a lot of other spiritual stuff.

That's what I miss about Miami. I DESPERATELY miss the coffee dates at Kofenya with gal pals when we would catch up on life and encourage each other with things God was teaching us. I miss having people around who ask me how God is challenging me and what things I have been learning about the Lord. That is what energizes me, I'm finding out. I love to talk about God and how important He is in my life. I like having people keep me accountable to make sure that I am praying to God for help in all situations of my life. I think one of my biggest flaws is that I so often think that I can make it through life alone. I don't know why I think this, perhaps it's a safety mechanism to lessen the ability of things to hurt me, but so often God reminds me that we weren't made to live in isolation.

I say all this to encourage you to take advantage of the people that God has strategically placed in your life. Whether you're in college, working, or otherwise, APPRECIATE the times when we can fellowship with others and be encouraged in the love and grace of Christ.

These people next to me are so encouraging to listen to.... To God be the GLORY....

and now on to my paper.... :)

Not what you'd expect-- in North Carolina.

I'd heard all of the warnings before I got here, but never believed that they were true. "When snow is in the forecast, people will stalk up on bread and milk," is what people would say. Being from Ohio, snow is not a life changing event. For North Carolinians, snow is HUGE.

This sign was posted in several locations around my apartment complex, to warn the drivers on their way out to the roads. Today, while studying neuroscience for the majority of my day, I watched the snow fall and fall for hours without stopping. There were little kids across the street all bundled up, no doubt experiencing the joys of snow! Nothing else exciting in life to share.... I just thought these pictures said it all! So much for moving to North Carolina for the warm weather :)


Until next time... stay warm, wherever you might be!